2023 Island Games: Jersey make football final after Isle of Wight victory

Lorne Bickley's winner was the Jersey Bulls striker's first goal at the 2023 island Games

Jersey's men came from 2-1 down to beat the Isle of Wight 3-2 and reach the Island Games football final.

Luke Campbell gave Jersey a 20th-minute lead from close range after a corner was not cleared.

Jake Scrimshaw levelled with a 40th-minute penalty and the striker's superb control and shot a minute into the second half put his side ahead.

Sol Solomon equalised with 27 minutes to go before Lorne Bickley's close range winner with 20 minutes left.

The win means Jersey have the chance to take football gold for the first time since 2009 - they will face Ynys Mon in a repeat of the 1997 final in Jersey which the home side won 1-0 at Springfield.

Sol Solomon's equaliser was his third goal at the Island Games

Lorne Bickley went close in the opening minutes before Campbell's opener as Jersey dominated the first half.

But a penalty for handball - which Jersey disputed - was dispatched by Scrimshaw despite Euan van der Vliet getting a hand to it.

Scrimshaw's goal in the opening moments of the second half was sublime as the former Yeovil Town and Eastleigh striker controlled a floated pass on the right of the penalty area before firing low into the opposite corner.

Isle of Wight could have been 3-1 up after 58 minutes when Scrimshaw fired just over, while a minute later Jersey winger Francis Lekimamati's swerving effort from the corner of the 18-yard box just went wide.

But Jersey levelled when substitute Karl Hinds won the ball in midfield and set Bickley free before getting on the end of his teammate's pass and setting up Solomon to score from 10 yards.

Soon after Jersey were back in front as a lovely flowing move ended with Lekimamati cutting in from the right and placing an inch-perfect cross to Bickley to side-foot in from close range.

Bickley blazed over with 10 minutes left after good work from Miguel Carvalho and the striker almost ended it with two minutes to go, but his low shot just went wide as he ran through under pressure from a defender.

"It's one of the best feelings I've had in football in a long while," Bickley told BBC Channel Islands.

"It's a relief to get through, do Jersey proud and get us all a medal.

"We're a good group of lads, probably the best group of lads I've had playing football with, everyone's really tight and we want to get each other through tomorrow and hopefully get that gold for Jersey."

Jersey ended the women's tournament in sixth place

Meanwhile Jersey's women's team finished the tournament in sixth place.

The islanders had their hopes of a place in the semi-finals as the best second-placed side in the group staged dashed on Wednesday after an administrative error.

It put them in the play-off for fifth place with Ynys Mon, which they lost 3-2 after conceding an 88th-minute winner.

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